Pedal for operating bellows.



No. 801,271. PATENTED 0CT.10,1905.

J. SAMPERB. PEDAL FOR OPERATING BELLOWS.

APPLICATION FILED MAKE, 1905.

IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOSE SAMPERE, OF RAHIVAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE REGINA COMPANY, OF RAHWVAY, NEIV JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PEDAL FOR OPERATING BELLOWS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osu SAMPERE, a subject of the King of Spain, and a resident of Ral way, Union county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Pedals for Operating Bellows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pedals for operating the bellows of so-called self-playing musical instruments, but is also applicable to the operation of any other device actuated by pedals.

The chief object of my invention is to so construct the pedal and the parts attached thereto that when not in use they can be readily folded out of the way; and my invention has for its object to provide a very simple device of the above-indicated class which will be easily operated and in which the clearance required for the movement of the pedal and its connected parts will be comparatively small, so that pedals of this character may be applied to musical instruments without requiring large empty spaces.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

I Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on line 1 1 of Fig. 2, showing a portion of a self-playing instrument (which may be either an attachment to an ordinary piano or part of a socalled inside player) with my improved pedals fitted thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

A indicates the bottom of the instrument, whether this be a piano or a player adapted for attachment to a plano.

B indicates an openinginthefront wall of the instrument or case, through which opening the pedals are adapted to project. This opening may be closed, if desired, when the pedals are not to be used by means of a slide O moving horizontally in guideways O. The stationary member or wall of the wind-inducing device or bellows D is indicated at D, this wall being secured in any suitable manner-for instance, by means of brackets E, attached to the bottom A. The movable wall D of the bellows is in the construction shown arranged. in the rear of the stationary wall D and moves toward and from the same in the customary manner, being hinged at its upper end.

lVith the lower end of each movable wall D is pivotally connected a link F, which extends to the toe portion of the pedal G, being pivotally connected therewith at G. The heel portion of the pedal is pivoted upon a transverse rod H by means of apertured lugs G the said rod H extending through both pedals and connecting them to move in unison, although this is not absolutely necessary to secure certain advantages of my invention. With the rod H are connected links I I, the outer ones of which, I, are provided with feet I adapted to rest on the floor, and thus to support the heel portions of the pedals in a proper position for use, as shown in Fig. 1. The links I I are fulcrumed to swing about stationary axes on the frame or caseA. For instance, they may be pivoted at I to brackets J, secured to the bottom.

It will be seen that the heel portions of the pedals have practically a pivotal connection with the outer ends of the links I I. The central link I has a toe I of such length that it will stand a suflicient distance away from the floor to allow the operator to slide his 01' her foot under saidtoe and then lift the pedals into the case, the parts then assuming the position indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will of course be understood that both axes of the links I I should be in exact alinement with each other when the pedals are connected to swing into the case in unison.

It will be seen that during the inward folding of the pedals the links F swing about the pivotal connections F as stationary axes. These axes of course aline with each other when the pedals are connected, as by means of the rod H. During this entire movement the links F remain supporting-linksthat is, the connection G remains above the connection F. The links I and I, however, are reversed during the inward folding of the pedals that is, the feet I and toe 1* project upwardly after the pedals have been swung into the case, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The movement of the pedals during the inward folding is mainly rearward and also slightly upward without any material change in the inclination of the pedals. This is of advantage in that it allows the performer not only to lift the pedals, but push them inward until they drop by gravity into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that during the entire movetoo ment of the pedals, whether into or out of the case, the pivot-axes I and F remain stationary and at the same distance from each other. I desire to call particular attention to the fact that it is not necessary to impart any motion to the bellows-wall D in order to be able to fold the pedals into the case. The back of the case is of course beyond the path of the pedals and links. It will also be observed that the pedals are arranged to swing between the bellows--that is, the path of the pedals and of the links F is located laterally of the movable bellows D The various parts are so proportioned that during its folding movement the pedal re mains upright-that is, the toeportion of the pedal is always uppermost. To obtain this result in a convenient manner, I prefer to make the front links I I shorter than the rear links F and the distance between the fulcrum-points I 1 about equal to the distance between the pivotal connecting-points H G of the pedal.

It will be understood that the device herein described is applicable in connection with any pedal-actuated mechanism, and for this reason I have in sundry of the claims referred to the movable member D as a movable actuated member, thus clearly indicating that the scope of my invention is much broader than the specific embodiment shown.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member therein, a front link fulcrumed on the frame and reversible to extend and rest either forward or rearward of its fulcrum, a rear link pivotally connected at one end with the said movable actuated member, and a pedal having pivotal connections with the free ends of said links.

2. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member located therein, the front link fulcrumed within the frame and reversible to extend either forward from its fulcrum to the exterior of the frame, or rearward from its fulcrum to be entirely within the frame and to rest thereon, the rear link connected with said movable actuated member, and the pedal movably connected with the free ends of said links.

3. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member, the front link fulcrumed on the frame in advance of said movable member and reversible to extend and rest either forward or rearward of its fulcrum, a pedal, the heel portion of which is connected with the free end of said link, and a connection from the toe portion of the pedal to said movable actuated member.

4:. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member, the front link fulcrumed directly upon the frame, the rear link pivoted to said movable member, the pedal having direct pivotal connections with the free ends of said links, and a foot arranged to support the heel portion of the pedal when it is in its forward position.

5. The combination of the frame, connected pedals movable inward and outward, feet for supporting said pedals in their outer position, and a toe located between said pedals and terminating at a higher level than the feet.

6. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member, the front links fulcrumed on the frame and provided with end portions of different lengths to form respectively supporting-feet and a toe for the folding of the pedals, the rear links fulcrumed on said movable member, and the pedals pivotally connected with said front links and rear links.

7. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member, a pedal arranged to move in a path located laterally of the path of said actuating member, a link one end of which is pivotally connected with the heel portion of the pedal while the other end is fulcrumed about a stationary axis, and another link having one end pivotally connected with the toe portion of the pedal and the other with said movable actuated member.

8. The combination of the frame, the bellows, the pedal arranged to move in a path located laterally of the path of the movable member of the bellows, a link one end of which is pivotally connected with the heel portion of the pedal, while the other end is fulcrumed about a stationary axis, and another link having one end pivotally connected with the toe portion of the pedal and the other with the movable member of the bellows.

9. The combination of the frame, the bellows, the pedal, a link one end of which is pivotally connected with the toe end of the pedal while the other end of the link is pivoted to the movable member of the bellows, the back of the frame lying beyond the path of the pedal and said link during their inward folding movement about the pivot on the movable member of the bellows, and another link pivotally connected with the heel end of the pedal and with the frame, the last-named pivotal axis being always at the same point of the frame, and the path of the pedal being at one side of the path of the movable bellows member.

10. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member, the pedal, and two links having direct pivotal connections with the pedal and also pivotally supported, one directly on the frame and the other on the said movable actuated member, the pivotal supporting-points remaining stationary and at an invariable distance from each other as the pedal and links swing on said supportingpoints.

11. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member, the pedal, the rear link one end of which is fulcrumed on the said I tance between. the points where the links are member while the other end. is pivoted to the toe portion of the pedal, and a front link, shorter than the rear link, fulcrumed at a stationary point and pivotally connected with the heel end of the pedal.

12. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member, the pedal, and two links pivotally connected with the end portions of the pedal and also pivotally supported one on the frame and the other on said actuated member, the distance between said supporting-points being constant during the swinging of the pedal into or out of active position, and being about equal to the disconnected with the pedal.

13. The combination of the frame, a movable actuated member therein, a front link fulcrumed on the frame and reversible to extend and rest in substantially horizontal position either forward or rearward of its fulcrum, a rear link pivotally connected at one end with the said movable actuated member, and a pedal having pivotal connections with the free ends of said links.

JOSE SAMPERE.

Witnesses:

JOHN LOTKA, JOHN A. KEHLENBIJGK. 

